Reshuffle in Greek domestic ferry network

Grimaldi-owned Minoan Lines has reportedly submitted at least six applications to start routes to connect the Greek mainland with the Cyclades and Crete’s second city port Chania – the homeport of Anek Lines.

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Robbie Drummond appointed CalMac’s Interim MD

The Board of David MacBrayne Limited has announced that Robbie Drummond, currently serving as Interim Director of Service Delivery and formerly Group Finance Director, has been appointed Interim Managing Director of CalMac, replacing Martin Dorchester who stepped down to become the CEO at Includem – a specialist Scottish charity supporting vulnerable young people and their families.

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Uljanik launches SCENIC ECLIPSE

Uljanik Shipyard has launched its yard number 530, SCENIC ECLIPSE – a 168m discovery cruise yacht built for the Scenic Group.

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MØKSTRAFJORD delivered from Tersan Shipyard

Last Friday, 26 January, Fjord1’s HORGEFJORD was launched at the Tersan Shipyard, and on 31 January the first of these two all-electric/plug-in ferries - MØKSTRAFJORD - was delivered.

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Interferry main event heading back to Australia

Global trade association Interferry has chosen Hobart, Tasmania, as the venue for its 45th annual conference in October 2020 – the third time that the ferry industry’s showcase event will have been staged in Australia following Sydney in 1995 and Gold Coast in 2002.

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Viking Line does not exercise the option for a second cruise ferry from Xiamen

In July last year, Viking Line confirmed the order for a EUR 194 million cruise ferry to be built by the Chinese Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. The contract included an option for a second ferry, but Viking Line has now confirmed that this option will not be exercised.

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AIDA Cruises announces AIDnova pre-inaugural cruises

Aida Cruises has announced that its latest newbuilding, AIDAnova, will carry out a number of pre-inaugural mini-cruises before embarking on her maiden voyage on 2 December this year.

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First steel-cutting for NORWEGIAN ENCORE

During the ceremony of the first steel-cutting for NCL’s latest newbuilding at Meyer Werft Papenburg, it was revealed that the vessel will be named NORWEGIAN ENCORE.

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Phoenix Reisen extends DEUTSCHLAND charter

The 1998-built cruise ship DEUTSCHLAND will remain part of the Phoenix Reisen fleet until at least 2025. The vessel which has been sold to Delos Cruise in January will continue to sail on charter to the Bonn-based operator in each respective summer season until 2025.

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Continued strong growth for Port of Ystad

The Port of Ystad – which offers dialy connections to Swinoujscie and Bornholm – can look back on another strong year with a record number of goods, passengers, cars and trucks that passed through the Swedish port in 2017.

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Tirrenia strengthens Sardinian ro-ro offer

Tirrenia has further strengthened its ro-ro services to and from Sardinia by introducing the chartered 1,625-lanemetre freight ro-ro PAULINE RUSS to primarily increase capacity on the Civitavecchia-Olbia and Civitavecchia-Cagliari routes.

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Crystal Cruises downsizes the upcoming ‘Diamond-Class’ cruise ships

In an interview with Travel Weekly, Thomas Wolber, the newly-appointed CEO of Crystal Cruises, announced that the three not-yet built Crystal ‘Diamond-class’ (previously known as ‘Exclusive-Class’) ocean cruise ships will be downsized from 100,000gt to 60,000-65,000gt.

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Nordö-Link buys back EUROPALINK – Finnlines halfway its lengthening programme

As Shippax earlier reported, the Star-Class EUROPALINK will return to the Baltic after an absence of more than five years and her Italian registry was therefore exchanged to the Swedish one on 26 January.

Trasmediterranea’s newbuild to be completed earlier than planned

Trasmediterranea has announced that its new vessel, being completed at Factorías Vulcano in Northern Spain, will be named VILLA DE TEROR. Teror is a municipality in the northern part of the Island of Gran Canary.

Troubled ALMARIYA taken out of service again

The return of Trasmediterranea’s ALMARIYA did not last very long. Two round trips between Almeria and Nador was enough for the company to decide that the 1981-built ro-pax is not in shape to perform at her usual cruising speed and has been sent to Gibraltar for engine repairs – this despite the four months already spent under repair in Almeria following her engine room fire in early September.

Assembly of AVIC Weihai's yard number W0229 completed

AVIC Weihai Shipyard, China, has completed the hull assembly of its yard number W0229 – a 2,160-lanemetre ro-pax under construction for Jiaodong International Shipping.

Irish Continental to replace JONATHAN SWIFT by WESTPAC EXPRESS

Irish Ferries’ parent, the Irish Continental Group (ICG), has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to sell the Austal Auto Express 86m 1999-built high-speed catamaran JONATHAN SWIFT to Baleària Eurolineas Maritimas S.A. (Baleària).

ST. HELENA on final passenger carrying voyage

A little piece of maritime history will be made on 15 February when the cargo/passenger ship ST. HELENA arrives in Cape Town at the end of Voyage No. 268 – her final passenger carrying passage.

Over 2 million passengers for MEGASTAR during her first full year of operation

The LNG-powered MEGASTAR, operating on Tallink’s Tallinn-Helsinki ‘Shuttle’, carried more than 2 million passengers during her first year of operation.

Palumbo refurbishes part of the Tirrenia fleet

Italian Palumbo Group has signed a contract to refurbish and restyle a number of ro-paxes in the Tirrenia fleet. This includes the adoption of eye-catching comic graphics for which Tirrenia and Moby have become famous.

Caspian Sea train ferry DAGISTAN set to return to service after major life extension project

The Caspian Sea-based ro-ro/train ferry DAGISTAN is set to return to service after a major life extension project at the Zigh Ship repair Yard in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Jadrolinija wins six-year concession for the Zadar-Brbinj route

The Croatian Coastal Shipping Agency has appointed Jadrolinija to operate the year-round service between Zadar and Brbinj, Dugi otok.

GNV charters the PASCAL LOTA for the Genoa-Palermo link

Corsica Sardinia Ferries’ flagship PASCAL LOTA will see a charter stint with GNV during February.

Grimaldi has introduced the former AMSICORA and BONARIA in its own network

Earlier last month Onorato Armatori handed the chartered AMSICORA and BONARIA – the one-time Fincantieri-built EUROPA PALACE and OLYMPIA PALACE of Minoan Lines – back to Grimaldi.

Onorato Armatori charters QUBRA from CLdN

Onorato Armatori has successfully negotiated a long-term bareboat charter contract for the 3,663-lanemetre QUBRA which will strengthen the Tirrenia Cargo fleet as GIUSEPPE LUCCHESI.

Double-ended ANAX launched

The double-ended ferry ANAX was launched at the Greek Kouris Shipyard on 25 January.

Gozo Channel carried 5% more passengers in 2017

The National Statistics Office (NSO) of Malta has released full-year traffic figures for the Malta (Cirkewwa) to Gozo (Mgarr) route operated by Gozo Channel (Line).

Atlanticoline’s MESTRE SIMÃO considered a constructive total loss

The Government of the Azores announced in a joint press conference with the management of Atlânticoline that MESTRE SIMÃO, the 748gt ro-pax ferry which grounded off the Isle of Pico on 6 January, was considered a constructive total loss.

HORGEFJORD launched at Tersan shipyard

The second of the two all-electric/plug-in ferries built by Turkish Tersan shipyard for Fjord1 was launched 26 January.

Viking Line renews Turku route vessels

Viking Line has used the drydockings to further modify and renew the 1988-built AMORELLA and the flagship VIKING GRACE. The latter vessel returned from her overhaul on 21 January, and AMORELLA is due to return on 4 February.